Core Viewpoint - Piper Sandler upgraded The Hershey Company to Overweight from Neutral and raised its price target to $213.00 from $193.00, with shares rising more than 1% in pre-market trading [1] Group 1: Cocoa Costs and Growth Initiatives - Easing cocoa costs are no longer expected to be inflationary in 2026, and the removal of cocoa tariffs provides Hershey with increased flexibility to reinvest in growth while expanding earnings [2] - Early cocoa cost benefits have been allocated toward growth initiatives such as better-for-you offerings, salty snacks, international expansion, sweets, and premium products, allowing tariff relief to positively impact the bottom line [2] Group 2: Long-term Growth Projections - Growth from these investments is expected to support a more compelling long-term growth narrative, with Piper Sandler maintaining conservative projections of $7.23 EPS for 2026 and $7.73 EPS for 2027 [3] - The firm modeled increasing cash generation and raised its valuation multiple to 27.5x 2027 EPS, up from 25.0x previously [3]

Company Overview - Orkla India Ltd. is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on October 29, 2025, aiming to raise approximately ₹1,668 crore through an offer-for-sale [1] - The IPO will be priced between ₹695-730 per share and will close on October 31, 2025 [1] Shareholder Structure - The IPO is entirely an offer-for-sale, with promoter Orkla Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. selling 2.06 crore shares, and two investor shareholders each selling 11.41 lakh shares [2] - Post-issue, the promoter's holding will decrease from 90% to 75%, with the company's market capitalization projected to reach ₹10,000 crore at the upper price band [2] Market Position and Product Range - Orkla India operates in the packaged food segment, offering around 400 products, including spices, masalas, ready-to-eat meals, beverages, and sweets [3] - The company holds significant market shares in the packaged spices market, with 31% in Karnataka and 42% in Kerala as of FY24 [3] Financial Performance - The company reported revenues of ₹2,395 crore in FY25, with EBITDA margins of 16.6% [4] - Over the past three years, Orkla India achieved sales and EBITDA growth of 5% and 12.9% CAGR, respectively, although adjusted profit declined from ₹338 crore in FY23 to ₹289 crore in FY25 due to tax reversals [4] - The company maintains a virtually debt-free balance sheet and generates annual cash flows of ₹300-400 crore [4] Parent Company and Global Presence - Orkla India is backed by Norwegian parent Orkla ASA, which acquired MTR in 2007 and Eastern in 2021 [5] - The company has expanded its reach to over 45 countries, including GCC nations, the US, and Canada [5] Valuation - SBI Securities has assigned a neutral rating to the IPO, valuing the issue at 34.6 times FY25 earnings [5]